Milkbar NZ Breast Pump Review This is a little review on how I have found the Milkbar NZ breast pump which I have had for around three weeks now. It is totally my honest opinion and have in no way been sponsored to do this. I truely love this pump and wanted to share it with other mamas :-) I stumbled across this pump on Facebook by chance one day. I had been borrowing a friends pump but was finding it uncomfortable, time consuming and a lot of effort for very little result. I don’t have a big supply due to a previous breast reduction (blog post to follow) but what I did have was very quickly getting less and less. After reading about the Milkbar pump I decided to give it a go and with my supply dwindling quickly I messaged Laura on Facebook to see if I could pick one up that day! They are based in the Waikato region and although they don’t have a store, Laura very kindly let me collect it from their storage warehouse. I actually cried all the way home from collecting the pump. I was so sad that my supply was decreasing that this really was my last chance. I pumped that evening and was amazed at how comfortable it felt and how it stimulated the nipple just like a baby does when feeding. I think I managed to get around 15mls out in 20minutes...that doesn’t sound a lot but I had previously only been able to get 8-10mls with over half an hour of pumping. I also really love how compact it is, not to mention sleek and stylish. Over the next few days I pumped more often and have now managed to increase my supply to 30-40mls each time I pump. A few days after I collected the pump Laura messaged me to see how I was going and also shared some tips on increasing supply. I thought this was really nice and shows that as a company they really do care about what they do. One of the things Laura suggested was 0% beer- I had never heard of this but I guess it works due to the brewers yeast. It has actually helped!!! Comfort: The biggest thing that separates this from other pumps is the silicon suction cup... and Wow it sure does make a difference! Prior to using the Milkbar pump I had been expressing with another popular brand and the cups were made of a hard plastic- it was uncomfortable, wouldn’t suction properly and made my nipples the size of dinner plates 😂 The Milkbar pump is so comfortable to put on, it moulds nicely to the breast (will fit any shape and size) and is super soft. As it pumps it gently massages and stimulates the nipple just like your baby does so feels really natural unlike other pumps that just move your nipple back and fourth. Ease of use: I find pumping a bit tricky to do and the same time as feeding as I am totally un-co but I just pop it on afterwards or when I’m watching tv in the evening and away it goes. It pumps for two minutes stimulating the nipple to get the letdown and then switches to pumping mode itself. All you have to do is control how fast/slow you would like it to pump (this changes the strength of the suction). It took me a little while to figure out what I was comfortable with but now I know the setting I like and can easily change it with the digital push buttons. Cleaning: Some pumps can be such a mission to clean with lots of little fiddley bits. The design has been really well thought out and it comes apart easily with limited bits to wash. I give them a quick wash in warm soapy water and then chuck through the steriliser with the bottles. It is super easy! Style: As far as pumps go this is the most stylish by far. It honestly is such a pretty pump!! The black touch screen is so sleek and modern...who knew breast pumps could be so cool! So if you haven’t guessed already I really do love this pump! If you are in the market for a breast pump I would definitely recommend it! Do your research, check out their Facebook page and website and have a read. Everyone is different and likes different things but as a first time mama this is such a good option for a pump and it ticks all the boxes...comfort being the biggest one. Feel free to message me if you have any questions. Added bonus: Embarrassing pumping story... Yesterday in between going for a walk and going to the shops I headed home to quickly do some chores and a quick pump. I was a hot mess after the walk, Parker was asleep in his car seat so I was foot rocking him to keep him asleep #mumlife and I was in the privacy of my own home so was really just chilling out. Sitting on the couch boobies out I was pumping, foot rocking and engrossed in Facebook. Knock, knock, knock! I got such a fright! Looking up I see the courier guy standing out our glass doors about 1m away from me. As our our eyes locked he quickly realised what I was doing, dropped the parcel and ran back to his van! Poor guy...it must have been such a sight! Sorry mate! #pumplife
You can find the pump and lots of other goodies including some beautiful breastfeeding clothes here: https://milkbarnewzealand.com